Helen Kading Russell Doland

I realize that my dear Aunt Helen sometimes is hard to hear for some of you, so I decided to use this post to type what she had read out loud at that event.

I am so blessed to have her as my Aunt Helen and the one in our family that has taken the time to organize so many newspaper clippings, etc. into the many scrapbooks she has created throughout her lifetime, too!

I hope and pray that in the coming years I will successfully scan this treasure of her many scrapbooks of our Kading family, too. Stay tuned for further posts on them when I get to them in the future months, too!

When I browsed quickly through them a few months ago I was almost in tears to see all the newspaper clippings of my father, which were many, throughout his life with not only The Corner News Store but with all the other organizations he had been so involved with too.

This was the invitation to the Kading’s Family Reunion in the year 2000 that was held at The Town of Washington Pool in Millbrook, New YorkHelen Russell Doland’s family taken at the Family Reunion at The Town of Washington Pool in 2000

And of course, it was her organizing skills that made it all happen!

Always grateful for my Aunt Helen, too!

Helen Russell Doland of Millbrook, New York walking to work at The Corner News Store

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Here’s what my Aunt Helen read at the Millbrook Historical Society Meeting on November 16, 2017:

Helen Russell Doland of Millbrook, New York

My name is Helen Kading Russell Doland We moved to Millbrook in April 1933.

John was 5, I was 3 years old.

I started Kindergarten in 1935 and graduated High School in June 1948.

In 1949 I went to Krissler Business School in Poughkeepsie.

After finishing at Krissler, I worked as a typist at Standard Gage Company.

In 1950 my brother, John left for the service. I left Standard Gage Company to manage John’s store, The Corner News Store. I was the store manager from 1950-1952.

Jim and Helen Russell’s Wedding

I married my first husband, Jim Russell, June 27, 1954. We had 3 boys-Bob, Tom and Jay.

The boys were always active in sports.

Bob was on the Millbrook Swim Team, Tom and Jay both were on the Millbrook High School Basketball team as well as the Little League teams.

Jim passed away on March 30, 1977, at the age of 52 due to Lung Cancer.

We were married 22 years.

In 1966, I was appointed as the Millbrook Village Clerk by Mayor George Gerth. I resigned the position in 1968 to take a position at the Millbrook Post Office. I was the distribution, window clerk, and post office administrator.

I retired in April 1990 after serving for 22 years.

I then volunteered the next 6 years for helping with the bulk mailing at the American Cancer Society.

I was a 33-year member of the Washington Grange #878.

It was disbanded in September 1981.

The Washington Grange was a fixture of Millbrook for 82 years.

I was the last Master or President.

I then transferred to the Pleasant Valley Grange #838, where I have now been a member there for 32 years.

In 2016, Henry and I were honoured in receiving our 65 years Signifying my dedication to the Grange.

Why have we stayed in Grange so long? Friendship. When you go to any Grange meeting you are made welcome, as the saying goes, you are a stranger only once.

Walter and Helen Doland

I married my second husband, Walter Doland, May 3, 1980. After 38 years of marriage, he died of congestive heart disease June 15, 2013. Walter was my rock during one of the most difficult times of my life.

In 1986, my grandson, Daniel was diagnosed with Leukemia.

He was just 18 months old at the time.

In 1987 he underwent a bone marrow transplant at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York.

His 7-month-old sister, Erin, was a perfect match. The estimated cost was between $50,000-$150,000. Stanford Grange set up a trust fund for my grandson to help his family pay for some of this cost. There were also 22 community groups and organizations from Millbrook and Stanford rallied together to help. At one point the trust fund had collected $37,000.

The operation was a success with our prayers and the knowledge of the doctors.

After Daniel’s illness, our family decided we wanted to give back to those who helped us.

The Russell family participated in the American Cancer Society’s Walk-a-Thon from 1992-1994 raising over $1500 for cancer research.

Each year we received a plaque for the family that raised the most money.

I have 8 Grandchildren-Dan, Erin, Jimmy, Matt, Mellissa, Zach, Pat and Megan and 3 Great Grandchildren-Corbin, Melody, and Logan.